To learn the incredible tale of John Wayne’s private yacht the Wild Goose, simply continue reading. As you’ll learn about its background in the US Navy, her time serving during WWII, and her life as the private yacht of one of the most famous western actors in the world. the legendary John Wayne.

It was once part of the US Navy’s fleet:

While the iconic actor, John Wayne named his ship the Wild Goose, it originally was a US Navy YMS-1 class ship known as a Yard Mine Sweeper.

She was active during WWII:

As a naval ship, the Wild Goose was stationed primarily in the Aleutian Islands, during WWII. Her job was to sweep for enemy minefields at Attu and the US minefields at Kiska.

She was supposed to be involved in the scheduled invasion of Parmishiru Island:

She was scheduled to be refitted to participate in the scheduled invasion of Parmishiru Island, however before the invasion could take place, Japan who was fighting with Germany as part of the axis decided to surrender. At the time the Wild Goose was on her way to be refitted for the canceled invasion. She was ultimately removed from the Navy’s register of ships in 1946 after which point she lived on as a private yacht.

She several sister ships:

The most famous of the Wild Goose’s sister ships is the Calypso, which was famously owned by Jaques Cousteau. Cousteau was a famous French naval officer, scientist, filmmaker, and author. Who was passionate about the ocean.

She was owned by Harold Jones:

The first civilian owner of the Wild Goose was Harold Jones, who was the owner of Vancouver Tug & Barge. Jones used the Wild Goose which he named La Beverie to multiple parts of the world. Examples of which included Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Hawaii.

She was also owned by millionaire Max Wyman:

Harold Jones kept La Reverie until his death, at which point she was sold to millionaire Max Wyman. At which point Wyman renamed La Reverie Wild Goose II.

She was brought by the actor John Wayne in 1962:

In 1962 John Wayne took ownership of Wild Goose II and renamed her Wild Goose. Under his ownership, the Wild Goose hosted numerous star-studded parties. Examples of some of the party guests who would attend functions on Wild Goose include two former presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The latter of whom was formerly an actor before he became the President of the United States. John Wayne retained ownership of Wild Goose for 17 years before she was decommissioned.

She featured in a film:

Wild Goose made an appearance in the 1968 film Skidoo, in which she played the part of a boat named Mother which was owned by a gangster who was played by the famous actor, Groucho Marx.

So whether you are interested in WWII, John Wayne, or historical ships, hopefully, you found the article above about the Wild Goose’s incredible life interesting.

To discover a handy guide to Fennville Cemetery as well as why the cemetery drew unbelievable crowds in 2020, simply continue reading to discover a few interesting facts about Fennville Cemetery. Which was originally a private cemetery but has since been repurposed as a public cemetery which serves the local community of Fennville.

It’s located in Fennville, Michigan:

Fennville Cemetery is located in Fennville, Michigan. Fennville is located in Allegan County in Southwest Michigan and has a relatively small population of approximately 1,400 residents.

It’s located close to the Assembly of God Church:

One of the largest religious communities in Fennville is the Assembly of God Church which is located within a short walk of Fennville Cemetery.

It currently boasts over 3,037 memorials and graves:

Although Fennville has a small community of around 1,400 residents, Fennville Cemetery is home to over 3,037 memorials and graves. Partially due to the fact that Fennville used to have a larger community.

It’s not the other cemetery in Fennville:

Fennville is also home to another cemetery that is full of unmarked historic graves, Loomis Cemetary. Today most locals choose to bury their kin in Fennville Cemetary which is the more modern of the two community cemeteries.

The cemetery was overrun by tourists in 2020 who flocked to see the cemetery’s poppy field:

In 2020, Fennville Cemetry ended up closing its vehicle entrance as it was inundated with tourists who flocked to the cemetery in order to see the four-acre poppy field which was created to honor a local soldier who tragically lost his life during active duty.

The poppy field was planted by the parents of the fallen soldier Sargeant Mateo Donaldson, John Van Voorhees, and Joan Donaldson and was meant to serve as a tribute to their son. The poppy field backed straight onto Fennville Cemetery and the couple also intended for their son’s poppy field to bring joy to the living family members and friends of the individuals who are buried in Fennville Cemetery. However, the couple had no idea that their four-acre poppy field would draw such large crowds. In fact, the crowds quickly grew so large that the cemetery was forced to cut off the cemetery to traffic and to restrict the cemetery grounds to foot traffic, in order to protect the cemetery.

Shockingly the crowds who visited to view the stunning poppy fields ended up causing upwards of $1,500 worth of damage to the Michigan cemetery. Which is why the cemetery ended up blocking vehicles from entering the cemetery. As individuals would try and park in the cemetery in order to take photos of the poppy fields. Luckily a Go Fund Me page was launched in order to raise money to cover the damages that were made.

In conclusion, if you were looking for information about Fennville Cemetery which is located in the state of Michigan, hopefully, you found a few interesting facts that you found helpful. Especially if you were looking for information about the poppy fields which back onto the border of Fennville Cemetery.

Whether you’re fascinated by the US’ history, would love to see a natural wonder with your own eyes, or are keen to visit the birthplace of modern-day surfing, simply continue reading to learn about the 3 best travel spots in the US.

Salem, Massachusetts:

Salem which is located in Massachusetts is best known for being the location of the infamous Salem witch trials which took place in 1692. During which numerous locals were executed for being deemed witches. If you’re fascinated by the history of Salem, you’ll be able to visit Witch House, a 17th-century abode that once served as the home of one of the judges who deliberated on the witch trials. If you’re brave and don’t scare easily you can also choose to book a haunted tour of Salem.

However, Salem has a lot more to offer than haunted tours and witches and is also home to the inspiration for one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novels “The House of Seven Gables”. The House of Seven Gables, for which the novel was named is a colonial mansion that was built back in 1668 and actually predates the Salem witch trials.

Salem is also well worth visiting as it’s a charming, picturesque seaside town and is home to the oldest candy store in the United States, Ye Olde Pepper Companie, which specializes in serving old-fashioned and novelty fudge and candy.

Niagara Falls State Park, New York:

Niagara Falls is one of the world’s most impressive natural wonders and is well worth ticking off your bucket list. If you choose to view the world-famous falls from the United States, you’ll get to explore the oldest state park in the country, Niagara Falls State Park. Which is home to the American Falls, part of Horseshoe Falls, and the lesser-known Bridal Veil Falls. What you may not know about Niagara Falls State Park is that it has a lot more to offer than waterfalls alone and offers miles of hiking trails that are just waiting to be explored!

Oahu, Hawaii,

The beautiful island of Oahu is the most visited island in the state of Hawaii and is home to the most famous surf beach in the world, Waikiki Beach. Which is regarded as the birthplace of modern-day surfing. In fact, if you visit Waikiki you’ll see an impressive statue of the godfather of surfing Duke Kahanamoku.

If you don’t fancy a surf lesson, you’ll still be able to taste fresh pineapple Dole whip at the Dole plantation, visit Kualoa Ranch where countless movies and TV episodes have been filmed, tour the only royal palace in the United States, snorkel in a protected reef at Hanauma Bay and shop up a storm at the largest outdoor mall in the United States, the Ala Moana Center.

So no matter whether you’d prefer to learn to surf in the birthplace of modern-day surfing, to see one of the natural wonders of the world, or to tour Salem, it’s well worth picking one of the destinations listed above as your next travel destination!